More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)

Lesotho

Member of the *Commonwealth since 1966, previously known as Basutoland. A mountainous land-locked country, entirely surrounded by South Africa, it was the region which the Basuto tribes had managed to defend first against the *Zulus and then against the Boers. Their leader, *Moshoeshoe (c.1790–1870), won British protection against the *Boers in 1868, and in 1884 Basutoland was made a crown colony. It became independent in 1966 as Lesotho, a constitutional monarchy with *Moshoeshoe II as head of state.